Something Rotten
by Neferit
Summary: After thirteen years of peace he finds himself facing someone he thought dead. There is something rotten... Will he find out what it is before it's too late? Kink meme inspired - drama, angst, hurt/comfort, friendship and Tarsus.


**A/N:** There had been this prompt at the old kink meme:

_So I've seen a few Tarsus IV fics but I CAN NOT GET ENOUGH. There's something about Kirk that... I don't know makes me want to see him get beat up emotionally, physically, DO NOT CARE. (Sorry Kirk, I love you really, you're just incredibly hot with your CAN NOT BE BROKEN mentality. I want to watch you suffer and refuse to crack.) I'd like it to go down kinda like it did in TOS, meeting up with another former victim because Kodos is there or something like that. Lots of crew suspicion because Kirk isn't telling them what's going on (Kirk watching a Shakespearean play instead of going to the bar, what?), maybe jealousy, (is he getting it on with Dr. Leighton and/or Lenore?) and that kind of thing. _

And this one thought – sounds like a plan!

**Disclaimer:** I own or won nothing – but hey, chocolate chips cookies would be nice!

* * *

**Something Rotten**

It had been years since he really thought about what happened when he was twelve.

It had been years since he thought about his aunt, his uncle, his cousins.

It had been years since he thought about _him_. But suddenly, nothing else but this man seemed to occupy his mind.

_The revolution is successful._

They told him he was dead, all those years ago, when he kept on asking. Where is his family? What took them so long?

_But survival depends on drastic measures._

Half of the colony was dead, the other half on the edge of death by the time the 'fleet finally made appearance.

_Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. _

The cries for help, for mercy. Did his aunt, his uncle, join the voices in desperate cries for salvation?

_Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. _

From all the thousands of people living on Tarsus, only a small group was deemed truly valuable. What made _him_ so valuable, that he had been chosen, while so many were doomed?

_Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death._

And then the shooting started.

Jim was sitting on the floor of his quarters, leaning on his bed; drunk, but still strangely alert to everything what was happening around him. It took only one short video on the extranet to take his hard-earned peace away.

'_Karidian Company of Players – come and see the art of acting!'_ said the cheerful voice of young woman. The logo changed to faces of the actors, each of them wearing some costume and performing part of some play. And then there was _him_.

"Mark me," he said. And _God_, mark him he did.

**-o.O.o-**

The _Enterprise_ had been on shore leave on Kamaria V when it happened for the very first time. Sulu, Scotty, Chekov (who only recently got eighteen) and McCoy were heading to one of the famed bars, when McCoy punched the comm and called Jim:

"Jim, we are heading to Alibaba bar – you coming with us?"

There had been short silence on the other side before the Captain responded: "Thanks for the invitation, Bones, but I already got something planned."

"See you after the shore leave then, Captain," spoke Sulu, the rest of them joining with their own words. No one thought of asking what he planned, and Jim was glad for that.

What he was about to do was complete opposite what most people probably expected of him anyway and he can live without having to deal with the raised eyebrows.

As he was putting on his suit, the only non-uniform formal clothing he owned, his eyes fell on a small leaflet on his table.

'_Today – Karidian Company of Players, showing Macbeth by William Shakespeare on Kamaria V. We start at…'_

The Captain seems to be rather absent-minded today, thought Chekov on the alpha shift the next day. The man was staring at the PADD in his hands for about five minutes without doing anything else, the yeoman speaking to Uhura while she waited for the signed reports.

"Keptin?" he said, bringing Captain back to his senses with a start. "What did you do during your shore leave?"

"Oh, nothing really interesting, Chekov – what about you and Sulu?" smiled the Captain. "I believe the bars had some interesting drinks to offer?"

And so he and Sulu started to tell him about all the drinks and games and other things from the bars they visited night before, while he was signing the PADDs. The rest of the bridge crew joined in what they were doing during their shore leave, and the bridge was full of laughter and relaxed feelings.

It didn't occur to Chekov until after he was in the middle of his resting shift that Captain didn't answer any of the questions about his own shore leave.

**-o.O.o-**

No one thought it strange that the Captain always had something else planned until it was fifth shore leave in a row, and he still didn't join his crew at the bar – like the Jim Kirk they knew from Academy and the early months of their five year mission would.

"Thanks for the invitation, but I got my own plans," he would say, when they asked him if he'll join them. "Do not worry, I'll come back in one piece, Bones," he would add reassuringly, addressing the ship's CMO, who in turn would just scowl and grumble something about idiots.

But no one would really think about it until they invited him to join them in celebration of their first year in space and he declined.

"But Keptin, it's the first anniversary of the beginning of our mission!" protested Chekov, others voicing their agreement with that statement.

Kirk gave them apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, guys," he said, raising his hands in calming gesture, "but I already got plans and can't change them now."

"What are your plans then, Jim?" demanded McCoy.

The Captain was quiet for a moment before he answered in falsely calm voice. "I'm meeting several friends of mine, who are rather important people and had to reschedule way too many things to be able to meet with me here. So, no, I really can't reschedule the meeting. I'm sorry."

They see him and another eight people in a small café when they are walking around and by chance look through the store window. All nine of them are serious, the three present women pale, while the men all wear expressions of determination. One of the men, the one with some kind of mask hiding the left side of his face looks their way and they disappear quickly.

But all uneasy feelings they might have disappeared pretty quickly, as they started the celebration. Hooray for the first year in the diseases wrapped in black – and woohoo for the next four!

**-o.O.o-**

They start to watch the Captain more closely after that shore leave, paying attention to everything he does.

Bones notices that Jim started to pay more attention to what he's eating – adding more vegetables to his main meals, and goes even that far that he asks his yeoman to bring him some small snack with the PADDs he was to sign.

Uhura notices that he seems to be murmuring something most of the time. The words she was able to catch were 'successful' and 'threat'. But what was successful? What was the threat?

Spock notices the Captain had showed increased amount of time spent in solitude. In the first few months into their mission he would often come to the recreation rooms together with Doctor McCoy, talk with the crew, play poker or pool with some of them… even played chess with him. Now, not so much.

Sulu notices the Captain practicing hand-to-hand more frequently. He would train often even before – but now, it almost seems like an obsession.

Chekov notices the Captain getting that absent look every now and then; staring into the space, PADDs forgotten in one hand, while he would roll the pen in the other.

And all of them notice how quiet the Captain became.

Jim Kirk didn't do quiet. There definitely was something rotten on the starship _Enterprise_.

**-o.O.o-**

There were some shore leaves when Jim Kirk would join his crew, and then there were shore leaves when he would disappear without a trace – but returning usually sooner than the rest of them; always in formal clothing and blank face, with only evasive answers about his well-being.

He still does his duty; still signs all his forms, still eats his vegetables, still trains, still everything… but there is something keeping him taut, his mouth now always having hard edge to it.

If someone just met him for the first time, he would probably look as dashing as on the holovids – but his crew knew better.

But it wasn't until one call from a researcher of name Thomas Leighton that the Captain became even more of a stranger to everyone on the ship.

The call started with: "Jim, Edna is dead."

**-o.O.o-**

None of them could forget the pale faces of Doctor Leighton or the Captain; the shock at seeing him pale so abruptly shocking them in turn.

"How…?" Jim started, but Thomas interrupted him resolutely. "Not now, Jim," he said. "I'll send you the report." He paused. "The others will call you soon."

There were seven other calls for the Captain that day; he accepted them all in his ready room.

When he left, he looked like a death warmed over.

**-o.O.o-**

To say that three more calls during following two months by various people – from the faces the callers were the ones Captain met in the café all that time ago – announcing someone was dead didn't improve the state Captain obviously was in would be an understatement.

The man looked haunted.

"Jim, what the hell is happening?" asked Bones while he was performing routine physical on Jim.

"Nothing, Bones," was quiet answer. "Just series of really unfortunate events."

The good doctor could get nothing more from his friend; he obviously was stressed but otherwise in perfectly good shape, so after warning to take it easy he let him go, his eyes following him out of the sickbay.

"Jim," he whispered to himself, "what the hell did you get yourself into?"

**-o.O.o-**

It was one of these shore leaves when the Captain would disappear when they finally found out what he's been doing all this time.

All it took was to evade the bars and go to see some Earth plays in the theatre.

'_Karidian Company of Players – only today we perform Julius Caesar!'_ said the posters, and Uhura asked Spock to go with her.

"I've seen this play before," she told him, "I'm sure you would like it, too." So he agreed. And during the famous "Et tu, Brutus?" scene they finally noticed.

Captain was sitting in the third row; eyes glued to the scene, watching the older actor playing Caesar like a bird of prey.

**-o.O.o-**

They confront him about it as soon as they get back to _Enterprise_.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going to theatre?"

Uhura's voice cuts through the air like a blade, and startles the Captain.

"Uhm," he says, not very smartly. "Because I'm just a farm hick and thus have a reputation to keep?" he tries, adding his famed Kirk smile to his words. It's not working.

They argue some more. In the end, Kirk storms out of the room. "You're not my mother, _Lieutenant_, and as an adult _and_ your Captain, I see no reason why I should inform _yo_u of all people what I'm doing during my free time!"

Well. That didn't go so well.

**-o.O.o-**

The next day, the whole bridge crew knows about the theatre incident by the time the Captain makes it to the shift. There is already a stake of PADDs to sign ready for him, and he starts working on that with only short nod of greetings to the rest of the shift.

The rest of them are twitchy; nervous about what the Captain is doing. Then there is short message, and Uhura reports.

"Captain," she says, her hand holding her earpiece, "we are getting orders to relay the Karidian Company of Players to Planet Q colony. The Company shuttle is asking for permission to come aboard."

"Permission granted," he answers. "Mr Chekov, chart the shortest route to Planet Q. Mr Sulu, as soon as the Company is on board, warp five."

He left the bridge even before the "aye, aye, sir" could sound.

"The Keptin really is strange today," mumbles Chekov, and Sulu, who heard that, can only agree.

**-o.O.o-**

During the journey to Planet Q Captain was often seen in company of the Players. Especially around young Lenore Karidian, daughter of Anton Karidian, the leader of the Company.

Leonard was the first one to approach him. "Jim," he started, "what's the matter?"

Jim gave him a surprised glance. "What are you talking about, Bones?" he asked, confusion clear in his voice.

"This," Bones gestured around. "You never told me you were interested in theatre." It came out as accusation and Leonard winced at the sound of his voice. "I would have gone with you, you know," he added in quieter voice, soothing the hurt he may have caused with his previous outburst.

Jim looked at him strangely. Given how volatile was his reaction to Uhura wanting to know what he was doing, he had been very calm. "I'll explain, Bones. I promise you that once the situation will be resolved, you will be amongst the first people to know," he replied in quiet voice, his blue eyes radiating 'please, believe me' so strongly that Leonard felt himself nodding.

"I hope you know what you are doing, kid," he whispers, one of his hands rising to rest on Jim's shoulder for a moment. The younger man leans into the touch, closing his eyes.

When he opens them again, there is something what Leonard didn't understand in their depths. "Thanks, Bones!" Jim exclaims. "And now, I need to do some serious business!"

He's off in an eye blink. It's only about half a minute later, when Leonard hears him again.

"Well, if it isn't our rising acting star, beautiful Miss Lenore!"

And for some reason, he can't stop himself from gritting his teeth when he hears the shy answer.

**-o.O.o-**

If Jim acted strangely before, it became even stranger now. He keeps on calling several people, Admiral Pike among them, sending encrypted messages along the way.

It would be an understatement to say that the crew was curious.

And then there is shouting behind the closed doors of Mr Karidian's room, followed by the sound of hushed voices and Captain storming out, completely missing to notice Lenore, who had been hiding behind the nearest corner and the strange expression on her face when she realizes who had been visiting her father.

It was sad, and there had been grim determination in the depths of her eyes.

**-o.O.o-**

They are on the orbit of Planet Q, when the Doctor Leighton comes aboard with his wife Martha, to see the last play performed on board of _Enterprise_.

Both showed to be rather intrigued by the starship – only later Jim realized how much interested in position of armoury Tom was.

**-o.O.o-**

"Tom, don't," warned Jim his friend, while they were hiding behind the stage in the theatre. Tom stole one of the phasers in the armoury, and as it looked, he was prepared to kill Karidian.

"He is _Kodos_, Jim! Kodos, who killed my family. _You_r family!" whispered Tom furiously, his right eye shining with unshed tears.

Jim felt conflicted. As much as he wanted to allow Tom to shoot the man, he just couldn't. The voiceprint of Karidian's voice reciting the speech from the massacre wasn't completely up to the sample of Kodos' speech they had in the ship's database.

Jim wasn't a murderer. Couldn't become a murderer.

"We could be mistaken, Tom," he whispered back. "Give me that phaser and return to Martha, before you make the biggest mistake in your life."

The Doctor stood without a single muscle moving, before he released a shaky breath and handed the phaser to Jim. "Al… Alright, Jim."

He left the backstage, leaving Jim alone with his thoughts while he listened to the voices of actor playing Hamlet and Karidian playing his father's ghost. The act ended, actor playing Hamlet and Karidian quickly disappearing from the stage.

It was time to tie all loose ends.

**-o.O.o-**

"Lenore, There was another part I once played long ago. I never told you about it. Now that same curtain rises again. The time has come."

Karidian was obviously ready to let go – but Lenore obviously had other ideas. In all her fourteen years glory, she stood in front of her father, telling him that he will be safe – safe thanks to her. Her father quickly understood what she meant – as did Jim, who appeared from behind the corner.

"No one can touch you," continued Lenore. Then she spotted the Captain, and her eyes lost part of the dreamy shine, replacing it with iron resolve. „Not even Captain Kirk. See Caesar come? He's awed by your greatness, your shining brightness. Bright as a blade before it is stained with blood."

"Bright as blade," agreed Kirk. He motioned them both to leave, when Lenore put up resistance. "No! You can't stop him now!"

There was blur of her skirts, flash of a phaser appearing in her hand and she was running to the stage as the curtain went up, both Karidian and Kirk following her, when during shocked cries of the crew she turned back and aimed the phaser at the Captain.

"Caesar, beware the ides of March."

She fired. But before the ray could reach the Captain, Karidian pushed him aside, catching the fire himself.

Lenore cried, and as she moved to catch the falling body of her father, Kirk sprung up to her and snatched the phaser from her limp hand, leaving her sobbing over the dead body of her father,

Kirk called security and looked over the faces of present crew. He met eyes of his friend Tom and nodded slightly.

Kodos was dead. After more than thirteen years, they finally knew once and for all that Kodos. Was. Dead.

But somehow, the knowledge left him empty.

**-o.O.o-**

Leonard was finishing his report of Lenore's condition when someone knocked on the door to his office.

"Come in!" he called and typed several last letters, signing the finished form before he looked up to see his visitor. It left him quite surprised – he didn't expect to see him so soon. Usually, you had to hunt him down – that he came on his own spoke a lot about how important it had to be for him.

"I came to explain things to you," he answered his questioning look. "Do you think it would be possible to get some drinks, Bones? I don't think I can explain this while being completely sober."

Normally, Bones would probably give Jim one glass and then refuse anything more. But seeing Jim now, he just nodded and pulled one bottle out of his not so secret stash. They sat on the cot in CMO's office; leaning against the wall, the bottle between them.

Jim took the first glass and downed it at once. "It started when I was thirteen and was sent off-planet to my aunt's family on Tarsus IV…"

**-o.O.o-**

They were almost finishing the bottle when Jim said: "I've seen that damned ad on extranet and damn; I just couldn't stop thinking about him. He said 'mark me', in that ad. _'Mark me.'_ And I just knew I had to make sure it's him."

"That's why you always had something planned when we went on shore leave?" asked Bones, still keeping his first glass, thus being almost completely sober.

"Yups. I almost started planning the shore leaves so we would be on the same planet as the Company, so I could go to see the play. The more plays I've seen, the surer I became it's him." He gulped some of the bourbon down. "The others didn't quite believe me," he added quietly. "Then Edna died and suddenly, it seemed far more believable."

"How many of you are still alive? Five?"

"Yes. Tarsus Five instead of Tarsus Nine." He laughed harshly. "I wanted to make him suffer, Bones. But the computer was unable to place 100% accord between Karidian reading the speech and Kodos saying the speech. I was so scared that my hunch was wrong – what if I just forced others to see what I've seen? I asked him what he was thirteen years ago and he said 'younger, much younger'. Was he tired with the hiding? Would he confess on his own? Did I force Lenore's hand by going to their plays during these months?"

Bones didn't say anything, just shifted closer and wrapped an arm around Jim's shoulders.

And for the very first time in the last thirteen years Jim broke down and cried.

* * *

**A/N:** Uhm, yeah - this is where we end this story. Mark my words - there may be no K/S in the story, but if you look really closely, you can see signs of K/Mc, really!


End file.
